Cover unit for the window opening of a helmet or goggle



April 29, 1969 w. E. NEWCOMB 3,440,661

COVER UNIT FOR THE WINDOW OPENING OF A HELMET OR GOGGLE Filed June 26, 1967 Ill] /2 1 /a /5 &5 3 6 N '44 Q/i 11 l g I I -45 r &

F l 6 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM E. NEWCOMB ATTORNEYS United States Patent U.S. Cl. 214 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cover unit for a helmet or goggle of a size and shape to fit over a window opening in the wall thereof. The unit is provided with an inwardly extending flange which is in close proximity to a flange about the window opening of the helmet or goggle so that clips may extend over the flange of the unit and the flange of the helmet or goggle to hold the unit assembled therewith. The unit is also provided with a hinged cover which may be swung upwardly out of covering position. The cover carries a lens tinted to protect the eyes against glare and is so spring actuated that it is urged to either closed or open position as desired.

Background of the invention Welders helmets and goggles which have heretofore appeared on the market are usually of a form in which there is an integral projecting portion with no means for providing a hinged cover for the lens on the projecting portion. In cases where a hinged cover or a lens is desired, the curved wall of the helmet is cut with a window opening and a metal part providing the projecting portion is bolted to the helmet and this metal part then carries a hinged cover. The present invention in contrast makes utilization of a helmet having a projecting portion to which a unit for a hinged cover may be assembled in a manner without bolting.

Summary The window opening of a usual helmet or goggle is formed in a portion projecting from the curvature of the helmet or goggle and has a marginal flange extending inwardly toward the opening and about the margin of the opening. To this usual helmet or goggle projecting portion, there is attached a unit having a body with an inwardly extending flange which is of substantially the same size and shape as the flange in the opening in the projecting portion of the helmet. Clips are then provided to engage the flanges of each part and hold the unit in assembled position. The unit is also equipped with a spring cover which carries a lens so that the cover may be swung downwardly into operating position by a spring member or it may be swung upwardly beyond 90 from its closed position to open position. The spring is so arranged as to hold it in this upper position.

Descripti n of the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a fragmental portion of a helmet with my unit mounted in position there- FIG. 2 is a sectional view on substantially line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is a sectional view of a fragmental portion of the showing of FIG. 2 with parts omitted;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on substantially line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view illustrating the spring and hinging arrangement of the cover of the attachable unit;

FIG. '5 is an enlarged section view of a portion showing the cover raised; and

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FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the spring clip which holds the unit assembled with the helmet.

Detailed description With reference to the drawings, 10 designates the nonmetallic wall of a helmet or goggle (FIG. 2) which has an integral forwardly extending portion -11 of generally rectangular outline with an inwardly extending flange 12 forming the margins of a rectangular window opening 13 (FIG. 3). Metal plates 14 extend along the vertical ends of the projecting portion 11 and are held to the nonmetallic portion 11 by rivets 15 having heads 16. The inner ends of these metal plates 15 are bent to form hooks 17 which engage the ends of the leaf spring frame 18 which is arched as at 19 so as to urge the lens 20 toward the flanges 12. This resilient metal frame 18 is cut out as at 21' so as to generally register with the window opening 13. The metal plate is notched at its outer end as at 21 for a purpose to presently appear.

The unit which is attached to the helmet or goggle constructed as above is generally rectangular designated 25. It is conveniently formed of a moldable plastic material comprising a body portion 26 which is recessed as at 27 so as to telescopically lit the rectangular projecting portion 11 extending forwardly from the wall of the helmet. The body is provided with a window opening 28 registering with the window opening in the projecting portion and has a flange 29 projecting inwardly and forming the marginal edge of the window opening 28. This flange substantially conforms to the size and shape of the flange 12 about the window opening 13 in the projecting portion and lies close to or in contact with the flange 12 of the window opening 13 in the projecting portion.

Clips 30 (FIG. *6) having leg portions 31 and 32 and of a resilient metal material with the legs closer together than the combined thickness of the two flanges 12, 29 are spread and slipped over the flanges at their edge portions so as to hold the body portion of the unit assembled with the face shield. Abutments or lugs 33 extend from the leg 32 of the clip and fit into notches 21 in plate 14 which locate the clips vertically and are engaged by the lens 20 so as to hold the clips in position such as shown in FIG. 3, it being necessary to remove the lens 20 from the lugs 33 in order to remove the clips. The lens 20 is usually assembled after the clips are in place so that the clips cannot be moved to release position after the lens is in place. The lens thus contacts the clips and is spaced from the flange 12.

Two hinge lugs 34 are molded on the upper edge of the body 26 adjacent its ends and a spring holding lug 35 is also molded centrally of the body portion as seen in FIGS. 1, 4 and S. A hinge cover is pivoted to the lugs 34 by pins 41. This cover comprises a frame 42 with a window opening 43 to register with the window openings of the body and the projecting portion of the helmet and carries a lens 44 which is urged toward the lips 45 about the opening 43 and against a washer 46' and cover lens 46 by a rectangular frame 47 of spring of sheet metal form which has a center opening and tongues 48 at its ends to enter recesses 4-9 in the wall of the frame of the cover.

A spring of wire form 50 and of the shape as shown in FIG. 4 has its center portion 51 lodged in a recess 52 in the spring retaining lug 35 which recess is off center from the pivotal axis of hinge pins 41 as seen in FIG- 5 and then has diagonal portions 53 forming contact points 54 (see FIGS. 4 and 5 which are located in a right angular corner 56 in the cover or at the back of the cover frame so as to urge the cover to closed position as seen in FIG. 2 or toward open position as shown in FIG. 5, depending upon the position of swinging relationship of the cover to the axis of the hinge. Abutments 58 serve to limit endwise movement of spring 50. A lip 57 extends from the cover and serves as a stop for limiting the opening movement of the cover about its hinge. Handles 60 on either side of the hinged cover enable it to be manually raised or lowered as desired.

I claim:

1. A mask having a body with a window opening surrounded by a forwardly projecting wall with an inturned flange at its outer end, a unit having a window opening registering with said first said opening and provided with an inwardly extending flange and shaped to conform with the flange of said wall over an extended portion and contiguous therewith, a U shape clip having spaced legs securing said flanges in overlapping relationship and the unit assembled on said mask, a lug on the leg which overlies the flange of said forwardly projecting wall and a lens spanning the window opening in said body in a position to be engaged by said lug for blocking disengagement of the clip from said flanges.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein said clips are U shape and of spring metal to grip said flanges.

4 3. A device as in claim 1 wherein said unit is provided with a lens carrying cover hinged to swing relative a part of the unit.

4. A device as in claim 3 wherein said cover is spring urged to closed or open position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,055,117 9/1936 Bowers 28 2,105,071 1/1938 Bowers 28 X 2,251,194 7/1941 Maleom 28 2,270,028 1/ 1942 Anderson 28 2,411,224 11/1946 OReilly 2--8 2,590,526 3/1952 Evans 28 3,147,487 9/1964 Hoeftman 28 HERBERT F. 'ROSS, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 28 

